[Jewelry making - Article 01016] - [Orchid] Report on new sales venue

[Beth Wicker]

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    Friday night I did a jewelry sale at a nearby private college prep
    school.  They were having a home volleyball game, home soccer game,
    dinner and a bonfire.  They did no publicity, although I did print
    some posters on my computer and put them up the first of the week. 
    I sold for about 4 hours, and did over $700 worth - which I thought
    was not bad at all!  I split the retail profits with the Parent
    Guild, so I wound up with wholesale plus 25% for myself - also not
    bad!  The items I sold ranged in price from a $2 one wire copper
    bracelet to a $90 pearl and copper necklace - about the range I had
    expected.  It went well enough that the Parent Guild wants to do it
    again in early December, with more publicity and a newspaper story
    or two.  We feel we should do at least 50% more at that point with
    the additional publicity and the timing.  I had almost no travel
    expense, no hotel or meals (they fed me), and a decent profit for
    the time spent. 

    I plan to make a brochure and pitch this as a fundraiser to other
    private schools in a decent driving range.  It is a win-win
    situation for all of us. 

    In addition to the immediate sales, several people took my cards,
    and one family are immigrants from South Africa who brought their
    wealth out in gemstones.  He wants to meet with me this week and
    arrange for me to set his stones for him.  He sells on e-bay -
    apparently supports the family this way, does a very large volume! -
    and the stones he has left he thinks will sell better if they are
    set.  I do both traditional setting and wire-wrapped settings, and
    he has a number of non-calibrated unusually shaped cut stones that
    he thinks will do well in a wire-wrapped setting.  So you never know
    what will come from things! 

    Just wanted to share in case others want to try this venue.  By
    choosing the private school I chose I knew the income levels of the
    parents (kids drive new Cadillac SUV's to school!) so I knew the
    disposable income was there.  Also knew the parents would appreciate
    quality pieces at a good price, and that they were supporting the
    Parent Guild at the same time.  I made sure I had lots of cheap
    items for the kids to purchase also. 

Best wishes to all.
Beth in SC



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